A reminder of just how awful Trump is.

[Garrett78]

This is only the tip of the iceberg, but here goes:

Trump brags about and commits sexual assault (and he likely raped a 13-year-old)

Trump was endorsed by the KKK and has a long history of overt bigotry (plus he discriminated at his housing developments)

Trump suggested banning Muslims

Trump suggested most Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug dealers (in fact, that's precisely when his campaign picked up steam)

Trump lies and contradicts himself constantly (at a rate *much* higher than Clinton, according to Politico and anyone with a brain)

Trump cheered the housing collapse because he could capitalize on it

Trump ran a fraudulent "University"

Trump stiffed the contractors/blue collar workers he hired

Trump isn't even coherent much of the time (read the transcripts from his speeches and debate performances)

Trump didn't put forth substantive policy positions, whereas Clinton did (on economic matters and everything else)

Keep all of that (and more) in mind when you excuse people for supporting Trump. There was *no* excuse for voting for Trump. And inherent in the "working class whites" narrative is the notion that working class POC don't care about economic issues, as well as the notion that Clinton didn't discuss economic issues at length. Nothing could be further from the truth. Someone in another thread said Clinton didn't address rising health care costs, which is completely untrue. Her website (which you can still access), as well as speeches she gave, addressed rising health care costs at length--to a much greater extent than Trump did.

In an increasingly diverse nation, racism, sexism, xenophobia, heterosexism and Christian supremacy takes precedence for tens of millions of Americans. Those things 'trump' everything else. And it is the GOP that plays "identity politics."

The fact is a large percentage of the American electorate cannot be reached by the Democratic Party no matter what (that's always been the case). Toss in some voter suppression, a pathetic media (that promotes false equivalencies and doesn't think it appropriate to fact check) and a candidate (Clinton) who was victimized by decades of hate (with a boring, moderate running mate) and there you have it--a razor thin margin in a few battleground states being the difference. I'm fairly confident that the 2020 Democratic nominee can win with the exact same message as Clinton, so long as that person isn't Clinton.

Also, one must consider just how many people subscribe to patently false beliefs:

1) http://www.alternet.org/story/148826/16_of_the_dumbest_things_americans_believe_--_and_the_right-wing_lies_behind_them

2) http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/you-think-you-knew-crazy-think-again-10-shockers-increasingly-unhinged-right

We must accept that we live in a country in which tens of millions of people believe wholeheartedly in some of the most absurd (and often vile) things imaginable.

[raging moderate]

1. I read that most truly low-income whites voted for Clinton.

Except in certain pockets where it is difficult to get accurate information.

[el_bryanto]

2. Do you have a link? I'd like to see that info.

Particularly as I would find it a good sign.

Bryant

[Garrett78]

3. We won't know the exact numbers for a while, but...

...the median income of Trump supporters was definitely higher than the median income of Clinton supporters. Nate Silver pointed that out during the primary and exit polls suggest the same held true in the general election.

[raging moderate]

4. Thanks. Sorry to be such a Luddite.

I just never have been able to get the hang of all this technology.

[Garrett78]

5. Nothing to be sorry about. Just adding to what you posted.

[Martin Eden]

6. "(Hillary) addressed rising health care costs at length--to a much greater extent than Trump did."

"... as well as the notion that Clinton didn't discuss economic issues at length. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Unfortunately, the nuts and bolts of real policy issues do not attract viewers for TV ratings nearly as much as fake scandals, Trumps latest blathering, and the horse race.

Millions of voters perceived Hillary was ignoring their economic concerns because the corporate media chose to focus on storylines with higher entertainment value.

[Garrett78]

7. Agreed, and that's pretty damn difficult to overcome.

But the narrative bought into, even by many here at DU, is false.

[raging moderate]

8. The media engineered the Trump victory.

Never forget the mass media are mostly owned by right-wing ideologues.